In Khusrau's work, the Sufi often takes the female gender role as s/he contemplates union with a male Beloved. This female voice rises in supplication to Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer (here addressed as Khwaja or Lord/Master, asked, amongst other things, to make the supplicant fairer), though the musicians are almost always male (in the instance below, Abdul Rahim Fareedi and Abdul Ali Fareedi, at a 1983 diaspora performance in Birmingham.) The lyrics and melody are traditional.
ऐ महाराज मुईनुद्दीन हम आन पड़े तोर द्वार
ये गुल की पत राख निहारे जो तुम साँची सरकार
Ai Maharaj Moinuddin hum aan pare tor dwaar
Ye gul ki pat rakh nihare jo tum saanchi sarkar
O King Moinuddin, arrived am I at Thy door's view
This little flower keep in sight, if Thou be the Lord True.
मैं बे-गुण हूँ, जो तुम गुणवंत अब कैसे युतुन पार
मांगत मागंत समय गुज़रिओ आज न करिओ उदास
Main be-gun hoon, jo tum gunwant, ab kaise yutun paar
Maangat maangat samay guzario aaj na kario udaas
Worthless I, be Thou worthy, how to Thee cross-over I aught?
Beseeching, beseeching, time's passed, today Thou fail me not.
ख़्वाजा जी सुल्तान जी तुम बड़े ग़रीब-नवाज़
ख़्वाजा जी सुल्तान जी तुम बड़े ग़रीब-नवाज़
Khwaja ji, Sultan ji, tum bade ghareeb-nawaz
Khwaja ji, Sultan ji, tum bade ghareeb-nawaz
O Master, O Lord, Thou take'st the most pity on the poor
O Master, O Lord, Thou take'st the most pity on the poor
मैली मैली मैली सब कहे, उजली कहे न कोई
पर जो ख्वाजा तुम उजली कहो तो मैली कहे न कोई
Maili maili maili sab kahe, ujli kahe na koi
Par jo khwaja tum ujli kaho to maili kahe na koi
Dirty, dirty, dirty - say all, none will call me fair
If Master Thou call'st fair tho', then call Dirty none'll dare.
पहन के गले कफ़नी मैं दर पे जाऊँगी (ऐ सखी)
ख़्वाजा की जोगनिआ मैं बन जाऊँगी
Pehen ke gale kafani main dar pe jaoongi
Khwaja ki jogania main ban jaoongi
Draping shroud on neck to the door will I come (O friend)
The Master's Yogin will I become.
मोहे राम क़सम मोरे नैनन में ख़्वाजा की सुरतिआ पूर भइ
कैसो रतिअं गुजारूं चरणन मोर जाती नगरीआ दूर भइ
Mohe Ram qasam more nainan me khwaja ki suratiya pur bhayee
Kaiso ratiyan guzaroon charanan mor jaati nagariya door bhayee
I swear on Ram - my eyes to Master's face did accede
How pass I night? Feet carried me, town far did recede
पहन के गले कफ़नी मैं दर पे जाऊँगी
ख़्वाजा की जोगनिआ मैं बन जाऊँगी |
Pehen ke gale kafani main dar pe jaoongi
Khwaja ki jogania main ban jaoongi.
Draping shroud on neck to the door will I come
The Master's Yogin will I become.
Fareedi Qawwal was a favorite pupil of the legendary Fateh Ali Khan (Nusrat's father). He preferred the more traditional style of his Ustad over the commercial approach taken by Nusrat; he said 'Main Nusrat nu aakhya si ke apne baap di raah te aaja, par us meri gal nahin mani.' (I had told Nusrat to follow the path of his father but he didn't listen to me.') Fareedi saheb was exclusively a 'darbari qawwal', that is he only performed at Sufi shrines and never thought of releasing music commercially - selling his performances was incomprehensible, he lived all his life on donations made by the audiences at the shrines. All his surviving recordings are bootlegs from his performances at various shrines -- chiefly Baba Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakar's shrine at Pakpattan - or at public venues.
Fareedi Qawwal was accompanied by arguably one of the most talented group of 'humnava' (friends, i.e. chorus) any qawwal has possessed. Then there are the phenomenal 'baja' players - note their occasional baul dubki riffs. Fareedi was a meticulous performer, one not averse to physically hitting or loudly swearing at his humnava in the choicest Punjabi in the middle of performances if he felt they weren't being up to scratch.
मोहे राम क़सम मोरे नैनन में ख़्वाजा की सुरतिआ पूर भइ
कैसो रतिअं गुजारूं चरणन मोर जाती नगरीआ दूर भइ |
कैसो रतिअं गुजारूं चरणन मोर जाती नगरीआ दूर भइ |
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